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Aaron Copland
From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist
Aaron Copland was born in Brooklyn in 1900, studied in Paris with Nadia Boulanger and was already a well-known concert composer when he began writing for film. He started with the documentary The City (1939). Of Mice and Men (1939) and Our Town (1940) followed. Copland resisted the thick, continuous orchestral sound of Hollywood. He wrote transparent music with open fourths and fifths, simple melodies and plenty of space between the instruments. This is how the American countryside came to sound. For The Heiress (1949) he won an Oscar. He turned The Red Pony (1949) into an orchestral suite. His film style became the model for Western music and for the 'American' film sound in general.
Listening
Listening tip. Notice the open harmonies and the empty space between high and low instruments: this is how the feeling of a wide landscape arises.
Music for Movies: Sunday Traffic · Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra & Leonard Slatkin, 1939
Our Town · Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra & Leonard Slatkin, 1940
The Red Pony Suite: Morning on the Ranch · Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra & Leonard Slatkin, 1949
Music for Movies: II. Barley Wagons (from Of Mice and Men) · Aaron Copland, 1939
Our Town · Aaron Copland, 1940
Discography
Studio albums
- 1953Copland: Sextet for String Quartet, Clarinet and Piano / Kohs: Chamber Concerto
- 1955Ravel: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra / Copland: Sonata for Piano / Bernstein: Seven Anniversaries
- 1959A Lincoln Portrait /New England Triptych
- 1960Appalachian Spring / The Tender Land - Suite
- 1964Copland: The Red Pony & Britten: Sinfonia da Requiem, Op. 20
- 1966Aaron Copland Conducts: Music for a Great City / Statements
- 1966Ives: Trio / Copland: Vitebsk / Bloch: Three Nocturnes
- 1970The Copland Album: Appalachian Spring / Billy the Kid / El Salón México / Rodeo
- 1971Appalachian Spring / Lincoln Portrait / Fanfare for the Common Man
- 1974Copland Conducts Copland: Appalachian Spring (Complete Ballet)
- 1975A 75th Birthday Celebration: Aaron Copland Conducts
- 1976Barber: Adagio for Strings / Ives: Symphony no. 3 / Copland: Quiet City
- 1978Grofe: Grand Canyon Suite / Copland: El Salon Mexico
- 1979Appalachian Spring / Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes
- 1980Paul Jacobs Plays Blues, Ballads & Rags
- 1982Appalachian Spring / Rodeo / Fanfare for the Common Man
- 1983Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue / Barber: Adagio for Strings / Copland: Appalachian Spring
- 1983Music of Barber and Copland
- 1984Complete Works for Solo Piano / El Salon Mexico
- 1984George Gershwin: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in F / Aaron Copland: Billy The Kid
- 1986Appalachian Spring Suite / Eight Poems of Emily Dickinson / An Outdoor Overture
- 1986Billy the Kid / Rodeo
- 1986Symphony no. 3 / Danzón Cubano / El Salón Mexico
- 1986Symphony no. 3 / Quiet City
- 1987Appalachian Spring / Rodeo / Billy the Kid / Fanfare for the Common Man
- 1987Bernstein: Chichester Psalms / Copland: In the beginning and Three Motets / Barber: Agnus Dei
- 1987Piano Fantasy / Piano Variations / Passacaglia / Night Thoughts (Homage to Ives)
- 1987Sextet / Piano Variations / Piano Quartet
- 1988Appalachian Spring (complete) / Letter from Home / John Henry / Cortège macabre from "Grohg"
- 1988Corigliano: Clarinet Concerto / Copland: Clarinet Concerto / Bernstein: Prelude, Fugue, & Riffs
- 1989Appalachian Spring / Rodeo / Billy the Kid / Fanfare for the Common Man
- 1989Appalachian Spring / Short Symphony / 3 Latin American Sketches / Quiet City
- 1989Clarinet Concerto / Music for the Theatre / Quiet City / Dance Panels
- 1989Husa / Copland / Vaughan Williams / Hindemith
- 1989Music for the Theatre, Music for Movies, Quiet City, Clarinet Concerto
- 1989Rhapsody in Blue / Appalachian Spring / Quiet City / Knoxville / Adagio
- 1990Im Herzen der Klassik 66: Copland - Billy The Kid / Rodeo / Appalachian Spring
- 1990Orchestral Works
- 1990Symphony no. 3 / Music for a Great City
- 1991Appalachian Spring (original chamber version) / Music for the Theatre / Latin American Sketches / Quiet City
- 1991Appalachian Spring / Billy the Kid / Danzón Cubano / El Salón México
- 1991Bernstein: Chichester Psalms / Copland: In the Beginning
- 1991Charles Ives: Piano Sonata no. 2 / Aaron Copland: Piano Sonata
- 1991Concertos for Clarinet
- 1991El salón México / Appalachian Spring / Rodeo / Dance Symphony / Fanfare for the Common Man
- 1991El Salón México / Clarinet Concerto / Connotations / Music for the Theatre
- 1991Piano Concerto
- 1991Suite from "The Tender Land" / 3 Latin-American Sketches / Suite from "The Red Pony"
- 1992American Miniatures
- 1992An American Panorama
- 1992Great American Landscapes
- 1992Hommage À Benny Goodman
- 1992Out West! Tone Poems of the American West
- 1992The Tender Land
- 1993An American in Prague: Aaron Copland conducts the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
- 1993Billy the Kid / El Salón México / Appalachian Spring / Fanfare for the Common Man
- 1993Clarinet Concertos
- 1993Composers Conduct: Appalachian Spring / The Tender Land: Suite / Fall River Legend
- 1993Copland: Billy the Kid / Rodeo / Grofé: Grand Canyon Suite
- 1993Copland: Clarinet Concerto / Bernstein: Sonata for Clarinet / Gershwin: Three Preludes
- 1993Gershwin, Copland, Schuller, Bloch
- 1993Orchestral Music (American) - Gershwin, G. / Barber, S. / Bernstein, L. / Copland, A. (American Classics, Vol. 2)
- 1993Portraits of Freedom
- 1994Bernstein: West Side Story / Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
- 1994Copland: Clarinet Concerto / Arnold: Clarinet Concerto no. 1 / Lutosławski: Dance Preludes / Rossini: Variations
- 1994Great American Composers
- 1994Grohg / Hear ye! Hear ye! / Prelude
- 1994Long Time Ago
- 1994Music for Films
- 1994Music for Stage and Screen
- 1994Rodeo / Billy the Kid / El salón México / Danzón Cubano
- 1994The Young Pioneers: The Complete Music for Solo Piano
- 1995Barber: Knoxville: Summer of 1915 / Copland: Eight Poems of Emily Dickinson
- 1995Piano Concerto / Appalachian Spring / Symphonic Ode
- 1995The Contemporary American ‘C’
- 1996Antheil: Symphony No. 4 "1942" / Copland: Statements for Orchestra
- 1996Appalachian Spring / Billy the Kid / Lincoln Portrait / Fanfare for the Common Man
- 1996Copland Piano Music: Romantic and Modern
- 1996Copland: The Modernist
- 1996Dance Symphony / Short Symphony / Organ Symphony
- 1996Harris: Symphony no. 3 / Copland: Symphony no. 3
- 1996Ives: Holidays Symphony / Copland: Dance Symphony
- 1996Orchestral Works
- 1997Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring
- 1997Suite from The Tender Land / Appalachian Spring Suite
- 1997The Music of America
- 1998Appalachian Spring / Billy the Kid / Fanfare for the Common Man
- 1998Barber / Copland / Ginastera
- 1998He Got Game: Motion Picture Soundtrack (soundtrack)
- 1999Appalachian Spring / Billy the Kid / Rodeo / El Salón México
- 1999Fanfare for the Common Man/ Appalachian Spring/ El Salón México/ 4 Dance Episodes from "Rodeo"
- 2000Copland: The Populist
- 2000Fanfare for the Common Man / Appalachian Spring / Symphony no. 3
- 2000Fanfare for the Common Man: On Aaron Copland, the Man and His Music
- 2000Sacred & Secular Choral Music
- 2001Variations
- 2002Appalachian Spring (Ballet Suite) / Clarinet Concerto
- 2002New England Landscapes
- 2002Piano Concertos of the '20s
- 2002Symphony no. 3 / Billy the Kid (Suite)
- 2002Composers Conduct: Appalachian Spring / The Tender Land: Suite / Fall River Legend
- 2002Third Symphony / Music for the Theatre
- 2003Orchestral Works
- 2003Something Wild (soundtrack)
- 2004Copland: Fanfare / Rodeo; Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphosis
- 2004Lincoln Portrait & Other Works
- 2005America for Two
- 2005American Piano Music
- 2005Appalachian Spring / Billy the Kid / Rodeo
- 2005Music For The Theatre Vol. 2
- 2005My Name Is Barbara
- 2005Piano Fantasy / Piano Sonata
- 2006American Jazz Concertos
- 2006BBC Music, Volume 15, Number 2: American Landmarks
- 2006Piano Sonata and Other Works
- 2006Rodeo (Four Dance Episodes) / The Red Pony (Suite) / Prairie Journal / Letter from Home
- 2008American Classics: Foster: Songs / Griffes: The Rose of the Night / Copland: Eight Poems of Emily Dickinson
- 2008Dance Symphony / Symphony no. 1 / Short Symphony
- 2008Duos for Violin and Viola
- 2008Piano Concerto / The Tender Land (Suite) / Old American Songs
- 2008Variations, Sonata, Fantasy
- 2009Aaron Copland: The Red Pony / Benjamin Britten: Sinfonia da Requiem
- 2009Of Mice and Men / Our Town (soundtrack)
- 2009Southern Harmony
- 2010An American New Year’s Eve
- 2010Complete Solo Piano Works, Vol. 1
- 2011Ives/Brant: A Concord Symphony / Copland: Organ Symphony
- 2011Quiet City
- 2011Shostakovich: Trios, op 8 & op. 67 / Copland: Trio "Vitebsk"
- 2011The Pulitzer Project: Pulitzer Prize-Winning Works by Schuman, Sowerby & Copland
- 2012Copland: Appalachian Spring Suite / Symphonic Ode / Creston: Symphony no. 3 "Three Mysteries"
- 2012Copland: Piano Concerto / Menotti: Piano Concerto
- 2012Copland: Quiet City, Eight Poems of Emily Dickinson / Barber: Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Capricorn Concerto / Gershwin: Summertime
- 2012Rodeo - Piano Concerto - Billy the Kid
- 2013American Piano Concertos
- 2013Copland Conducts Copland
- 2013Rodeo / Dance Panels / El salón México / Danzón cubano
- 2013Works for Clarinet and Orchestra
- 2014Composing America
- 2014Copland: Appalachian Spring; Symphony No 3
- 2014New World Quartets
- 2015American Polyphony
- 2015American Works for Cello and Piano
- 2015Billy The Kid / Rodeo / El Salón México / An Outdoor Overture
- 2015Herrmann / Gershwin / Waxman / Copland
- 2016Appalachian Spring (Complete Ballet) / Hear Ye! Hear Ye!
- 2016John Corigliano: Symphony no. 1 / Michael Torke: Bright Blue Music / Aaron Copland: Appalachian Spring — Suite
- 2016Orchestral Works 1: Ballets
- 2016Orchestral Works 2: Symphonies
- 2017Aaron Copland: Essential Works
- 2017Great American Sonatas
- 2017Symphony no. 3 / Three Latin American Sketches
- 2017The Red Pony / The Heiress (soundtrack)
- 2018I Got Rhythm
- 2018Orchestral Works 3: Symphonies
- 2018Orchestral Works 4: Symphonies
- 2019American Postcard
- 2019Billy the Kid / Grohg
- 2019Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 “From the New World” / Copland: Quiet City / Ives: Washington’s Birthday
- 2019Pan‐American Reflections
- 2020American Pioneers
- 2020Bernstein: Songfest / Gershwin: An American in Paris / Copland: An Outdoor Overture
- 2020Copland: Clarinet Concerto / Appalachian Spring / Strauss: Duet Concertino / Capriccio
- 2020Dvořák: Symphony no. 9 / Copland: Billy the Kid
- 2020Songs
- 2020Symphony no. 3
- 2021Danzón
- 2022From Brighton to Brooklyn
- 2022Two Classic Political Film Scores (soundtrack)
- 2022Upon Further Reflection
- 2023Copland: The Tender Land Suite / Creston: Saxophone Concerto / Kay: Pietà / Piston: The Incredible Flutist Suite
- 2023Symphony no. 3
- 2024Appalachian Spring / Four Dance Episodes from Rodeo / El Salon México
- 2024Copland: Works for Orchestra
- 2025American Classical Masterpieces
- 2025Appalachian Spring / Billy the Kid
- 2025BBC Music, Volume 33, Number 8: Spring Symphony
- 2025Hallelujah Junction
- 2026BBC Music, Volume 34, Number 13: Copland: Appalachian Spring / Ives: Three Places in New England
- ?A Centenary Tribute
- ?Aaron Copland: 81st Birthday Concert
- ?Aaron Copland: Kammermusik
- ?American Chamber Music
- ?Composers Conduct: Appalachian Spring / The Tender Land: Suite / Fall River Legend
- ?Billy The Kid / Rodeo
- ?Billy the Kid / Symphony no. 3
- ?Clarinet Concertos
- ?Copland: Appalachian Spring / Gould: Spirituals for String Choir and Orchestra
- ?El Salón México / Dance Symphony / Fanfare for the Common Man / Four Dance Episodes From "Rodeo"
- ?Fanfare for the Common Man
- ?Grofé: Grand Canyon Suite / Mississippi Suite / Copland: The Red Pony Suite
- ?Old American Songs, Canticle of Freedom & 4 Motets
- ?Piano Concertos
- ?Rodeo (Four Dance Episodes) / Appalachian Spring (Suite)
- ?Sextet / Piano Quartet / Vitebsk / 3 String Quartet Pieces
- ?The American Clarinet
- ?The Piano Music of Aaron Copland
- ?Composers Conduct: Appalachian Spring / The Tender Land: Suite / Fall River Legend
- ?Third Symphony
Other work
- 1939The City
- 1939Of Mice and Men
- 1940Our Town
- 1949The Red Pony
- 1949The Heiress
In School of Rock
The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.
- Film Music MapNL Map
- The Dream Factory: Film Reel 2NL Reader
- The Dream Factory: Film Reel 7NL Reader
Mentioned in other articles
- Americana Genre
Aaron Copland followed with Of Mice and Men (1939) and Our Town (1940).